Clothes ironing machine



Feb. 16, 1954 E. H. STEVENSON CLOTHES IRONING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 16 195] Irma/var 16/1954 E. H. STEVENSON 2,669,046

CLOTHES IRONING MACHINE Filed June 16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'atentecl Feb. 16, 1954 umtrsp snares PATENT ow -roe :Evan HartlewSt-evenson, FergusiOntttriwCan-ada ApplicaitidnillIne I6, 1951, S efialiNo. 231,928

Glaim's; (CL38- GDJ ihvefitio'n relates to "an ironin "machine and ill lupafticlilai to a table"modeliroriing machine .Wliih "is compact, flight in .Wight, and rugged'lin construction.

IOne of the-obziects or the invention -isto'provide altab'le model electricirohing machine which is of such 'Iligh-t weight that it can be easily movedfrom .one locaition' to another, "can be used onathe .top of altahle and 'i'sc'ompact sothat'it can be..stor.ed Zine. small space. 'Tolthls end the ironingimachine whih is'the subject matter of the present application constructed 'so that the number of voperating parts and controls are reduced 'to .as-rhi-r'iiinum and simplifiec'i in "construct'ion resi-ilt'ing a .yportame "ironing machine which is veny"1ig"ht"in weiht and"yet is extremely efiicient "in operation.

.incarrying out the object orthisinverition. the electric ironing machine consists "of a "hollow base having rmounted on the end thereof "or formed conjunction therewith a; bracket supporting base. "-Mourited ontheto'p ofthe'ba'se' is albraktflfor supporting the motor for driving the roll. The motor;provided with a driving'connection whicm rotatably supportsthe ironing roileiz, .mounted within .the hollow base is "a shaft having" a shoesupportingmrm'at one "endwhich resiliently-supports em'eieetri'cally'heated' ironing shoe and an operating lever at the 'other'end which "servesfia dual purpose, 'first "to movethe electrically heated shoe into and outer contact withitheironirrgirolierand secondwhen-the'shoe ism'oveu Iin'to "Contact with the ironing roll -"'to actuatetheswitohtoenergizetheelefific motor as 'soon asthe shoe' contacts I theroller.

other and "further advantages and ob jeotsrof thepresent invention wilI be'eSoer'tained from the accompanying description and. t-he :drawings which 'iliu'strate' a preferred exemplification f :a table model ironing mac-hin'e monstructed accordance therewith iln Lthe drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the electric ironingmachme "constructed 1 in '1accordance with the present invention withiporti'onsseflth'e outer surfaces wit-away ito ;il"lustrate and zdisoiosc certain iifflihe openatingqoartsiintheiriprcipemtssembl'e'" relationship.

iliieure 2 :is a'iseetidnal ielfd wiew moishow internal memmism with :the ironing 'Jshoe :in.its inoperat'rve'rposition.

'mi-gureM iisva 'pianwiewrof :the operating :leverassembly.

[Figuremisraismerelevationzof the: yer sssembiy.

operating 518- Figure "6 is a fragmeri-tary front view of the base 'to show the *operating' lever at "theb'otto'm of "the' s'lotfprior to "being rotated into the locked position 's'lrownin Figure 7.

Figure 7 is a view similar to "Fig.6 showing the*1'ever inthe locked position with the "lever cut-oh on the line 1-4 of Fig.5.

"The "electric dronirrg' machine illustrated in the drawing comprises a hollow base -10, a "rotatable ironing r011 "ii, "an "electrically heated "ironing shoe !2.,"a'.s'haft rs, which'carries' a'shoetsupporting arm "M at one en'd'and an "operating 'lever Ifiattheother end.

'The top surface of the "base is "sloped upwards from'rront torear as 'md'icated at T6 to form an 'erilarged spaceattherear extending from end to end forhousingthe shaft :123, 'the arm 14, a bracket i?! "for supporting the end of the :shaft I3 adjacentithe' arm M, andaispring 18 one end of which is connected tothe'bracket [J1 .and the -other en'd connected tolthelower endo'f the arm Mft'he springlo'eing tensioned to normally urge the shoe out .01 engagement withthe roller H. The slope of'thetop surface or thebase f0 also serves to lii'ireet the ironed clothes towards the front thereof .so that the operator can readily removethe "ironed clothes.

.The mountings-for their-chine roll "I 1 comprises a cylindrical'bracket IBI'hav'ing .a'base member I 9a whichiisr mounteduon the bracket supporting base-"213 which isiformed :aspart .ofthe ri'gh'than'd endiof the'hdllow-basel'fi. The bracketsupporltmg baseJ2-0Lishol1ow as shownrand houses .the lever lira-bracket 1-2] which supports the end or the shaft. biadjacent .thelever Hand on electric switch .2-2 which is mounted on (.a bracket 4220, within the supporting Lbase -26, adjacent the lever L5. fl heiswi-tch zz "is provided withan operating push button 13. YIEhesWi-tch n22 is positioned soithatvthespus'h button-23 .will-be actuated "by shes-lever to close the-circuit :to =-the electric motor which drives the roller when the .lever ,is actuated to =movethe shoe intercom-tact :with the roll. I'he front-wall 24'of the-bracket supportingibase'flil is formed [with :a vertically extending slot-"25 through which the sharf-t-lfi of the handle 2 Ba' is=entered zEor-zeonnection to the lever- 15 in the manner hereinaf-teruclescrihed. The free end-of the lever l5is-formed=with a socket- 27 into which is removablyzentered thes-free end- ZB-of the shaft 26. In. order to .remova'bly :retain-fthe end :28 in the -:soclset :21, the 6 :end :28 =.-is Pier-med with a meripheral "groove 1'29 which receives a spring 219a dhby :thersocket 2 i.

JI' he portion (of time shaft l2fi'whichextends 3 distance beyond the wall 24 of the lever l5 and is formed with a fiat section 30 which is designed to ride freely in the slot 25. The handle on each side of the flat section is larger than the slot to prevent the handle being disconnected except when the lever has been moved to the position which in the present construction is at the top end of the slot 25 and when the shoe is out of engagement with the ironing roll. To allow the handle to be removed, the top end of the slot is enlarged as indicated at 25a. The top and bottom edges 3i, 32 respectively of the fiat section 30 are cut on a radius. As will be seen from the following description, the slot 25 is formed to effect a turning action of th shaft 25 which causes the surface 3i to actuate the push button 23 closing the circuit to the motor as hereinafter described. To effect the turning action of the shaft 26 and the actuation of the switch in an automatic manner, the following related parts are employed. In the first place, that part of the shaft which extends outwardly from the flat section 35 is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the lever l5 and the flat section 30 as shown in Figure 3. It has been found that a three degree incline is sufficient. As illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 the lower end of the slot 25 is enlarged as shown to allow the operating handle to rotate about its longitudinal axis. This enlarged lower end forming a terminal recess identified by the numeral 330:. This enlarged portion is shaped to have the same general configuration in cross section as the flat section 36 in transverse cross section and arranged at 45 clockwise from the perpendicular so as to allow approximately a 45 degree rotation clockwise of the shaft 26 and flat section 30 at which point further rotation is stopped by the fac 34a. As the handle is offset, the rotation thereof as it is pressed downward is effected automatically as the flat section 30 enters the terminal recess 33a. The rotation of the shaft has an eccentric action to bring the surface 3| into engagement with the push button 23 actuating it to close the circuit to the electric motor. The offset handle also serves to lock the shoe in contact with the ironing roller during the ironing operation. However it is designed as illustrated so that by a slight upward pressure on the handle the following action takes place automatically and in consequence: The flat section is released from the terminal recess 33a of the slot rotating the handle anti-clockwise moving the surface 3| out of engagement with the push button 23 thus opening the circuit to the electric motor and allowing the handle to move to the top end of the slot permitting the shoe to be moved out of engagement with the roller by the combined action of the upward pressure and the spring I8.

The bracket I9 carries an electric motor (not shown) so designed that the hollow rotatable roll will surround the motor the roll being provided with an internal bracket which is connected to and supported by the motor. As this type of mounting and connection is standard practice in the construction of table model electric ironers the specific construction and details of mounting have not been shown as they do not form any part of the present invention.

The electrically heated shoe I2 is curved to correspond to the curvature of the roll H and is secured to a plate 33 which encloses an electric heating element for heating the shoe. The plate is connected to the free or upper end of the shoe supporting arm M by the following parts. The arm I4 is made in the form of a channel and its 4 upper or free end is arcuately curved inwardly and is provided with a supporting member 34 pivotally connected between the sides of th arm l4 adjacent the free end thereof by the pivot pin 35. The supporting member 34 has attached thereto below the pin 35 an eliptical spring 36. The free ends of the spring 35 resiliently support the ironing shoe by the following apparatus. Removably connected to the plate 33 is a pair of inverted U-shaped members 33,- 38a which are positioned so that the ends of the spring will be received in a slide-way 35 formed by bending each arm of each U-shaped member adjacent the plate 33 as shown clearly in Figure 1. Carried on the plate 33 is a pair of stop members 40, one adjacent each end of spring and positioned to allow a predetermined flexing of the spring and then act as a stop member to allow the full spring pressure to be exerted on the shoe during the ironing operation. ,In the present instance, the stop members consist of bolts 43 projecting through the plate 33. The spring tension may be adjusted by the adjusting screw 44. The spring 3%, members 3%, 28a and the upper end of the arm M are enclosed by a cover 42 which may be secured in place by means of machine screws 45 entered through the top of the cover and threaded into the top end of the members 38, 38a.

In Figure 1, the ironing machine is shown in the position for effecting an ironing operation. In that position, it will be seen, that the ironing shoe i2 is against the roller and the handle 2511 has been depressed causing the surface 3! to actuate the switch 22, closing the electric circuit to the electric motor which is mounted so as to lie within and support the roller i. When the ironing shoe and ironing roll are out of engagement the handle is at the top end of the slot 25. The push button 23 has its outer end lying in close proximity to the terminal recess 33a of the slot 25 but positioned so that the flat section 30 of the handle will not touch the push button as the handle is depressed. When the operator wishes to effect an ironing operation, he or she depresses the handle Zta and as the flat section enters the terminal recess 33a of the lower end of the slot 25, the handle automatically rotates clockwise on its longitudinal axis bringing the top face 3! into engagement with the push button 23 to close the electric switch 22 and thus energize the motor for driving the ironing roll. It will also be seen that the handle is locked in this position since 'by reason of its construction, as hereinbefore mentioned, it has a natural tendency to continue its clockwise rotation. To release'the shoe from its ironing position and simultaneously stop the electric motor, all that is necessary is a slight upward pressure on the handle 28 which will release it from the ironing position and cause it to move to the upper end of the slot 25.

What I claim as new and desire to Protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. For an electric ironing machine having a base, a housing mounted on said base and formed with a bracket extending horizontally above said base, a rotatable ironing roll supported by said bracket for rotation about a horizontal axis, an electric motor for rotating said roll, and an electrically heated ironing shoe mounted on a rotatable shaft for movement into and out of operative engagement with the ironing roll; means for moving said shoe into and out of engagement with said roll and for simultaneously therewith either starting or stopping said motor comprising a guide slot formed vertically in the front wall ofsaid housing and having at the lower end an arcuate terminal recess, a manually operated articulated control lever connected to said shaft and extending outwardly through said slot for moving said shoe into and out of engagement with said roll, said lever having a flat section guided in said slot when said shoe moves into and out of operative engagement and rotating said lever when the fiat section enters the terminal recess and locks said lever in operative engagement with said roll, an electric switch for said motor positioned in the housing adjacent said terminal recess, a switch actuating surface on said lever positioned to actuate said switch when said lever moves the shoe into and out of operative engagement with the roll to energize and de-energize said motor respectively.

2. For an electric ironing machine according to claim 1 in which the part of the lever which projects outside the slot is inclined from the longitudinal axis of the lever in a direction that downward manual pressure on the lever will rotate the lever in said terminal recess.

3. For an electric ironing machine having a base, a housing mounted on said base and formed with a bracket extending above said base, a rotatable ironing roll supported by said bracket for rotation about a horizontal axis, an electric motor for rotating said roll, an electric switch for en ergizing said motor and an electrically heated ironing shoe mounted on a rotatable shaft for movement into and out of engagement with the ironing roll; means for actuating said shoe and simultaneously operating said switch comprising a manually operated control lever connected to and extending atright angles from said shaft for rotating said shaft to move said shoe into and out of engagement with said roll, said lever being articulated for rotative movement about its longitudinal axis, a guide slot formed in the front wall of said housing through which said lever projects and in which said lever rides during its manipulation to move said shoe into and out of its operative position, said slot having a terminal recess at the terminal of the operative movement of said lever, said switch being located in the housing adjacent the terminal recess, a switch actuating surface on said lever positioned to actuate said switch when said lever rotates in said terminal recess as the shoe moves into and out of operative engagement with the roll thereby energizing and de-energizing said motor.

EVAN HARTLEY STEVENSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Y Name Date 2,318,811 Spear May 11, 1943 2,362,322 Stilwell Nov. 7, 1944 2,434,483 Briggs Jan. 13, 1948 2,528,595 Kahn Nov. 7, 1950 2,548,152 Getgey Apr. 10, 1951 

